Monday, July 4, 2011

In 1911, Cubans Armando Marsans and Rafael Almeida became the first Latino players for the Cincinnati Reds.

The two are sometimes called the first Latino players in the major leagues, but that depends on how major league is defined. Two other Latino men played professional baseball prior to 1911, but the precise founding date of today’s Major League Baseball is disputed.

In the years before playing for the Reds, Almeida and Marsans played on an all-Cuban team in the Negro Baseball League. Almedia ended his career two years after his debut with the Reds, while Marsans went on to play with three other teams, before ending his career with the New York Yankees. Both players are in the Cuban baseball hall of fame.